Dutch convict 34 for blocking anti-racism demonstrators

A court in the Netherlands has convicted 34 people who blocked a highway last year to prevent anti-racism demonstrators reaching the nationally televised arrival of the Dutch version of Santa Claus - and his helpers called Black Petes

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — A court in the Netherlands has convicted 34 people for blocking a highway to prevent anti-racism demonstrators from protesting a festive parade featuring the Dutch version of Santa Claus — and his helpers, called Black Petes.

Black Pete is often played by white people with their faces daubed in dark makeup. He has been at the center of fierce debate for years between supporters who see him as a traditional children's character and opponents who decry him as a racist stereotype.

Those convicted Friday were ordered to do unpaid community work. The court in the northern city of Leeuwarden said in a statement that by blocking the highway last year, they "took the law into their own hands" to infringe protesters' constitutional right to demonstrate.

Disclaimer: This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Associated Press (AP) wire.